Apparatus for packing rod-shaped objects in containers

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for packing articles, such as cigarettes, cigars or cigarillos, comprising a takeup device for picking up rows of objects and depositing each row in a container with the articles of one row lie in the recesses formed by articles of the row below. The takeup device comprises at least two parts separable from one another to vary the number of objects to be picked up depending on whether the sections are joined together or separated from one another. Further means are provided for delivering a series of the articles over a path so that they may be picked up by the takeup device.

APPARATUS FOR PACKING ROD-SHAPED OBJECTS IN CONTAINERS 5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

U.S. 53/149, 53/164, 533/236, 214/1 BS, 214/6 FS, 294/6412 lnLCl 1 H 1365b 5/08, B65b 5/10,B65b 19/10 Field of Search 53/ 148, 149, I50, 162, 164, 236, 247; 198/30, 31 AB;

214/1 BS, 1 ET, 1 B,6DS,6FS; 221/211; 294/64 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,374,600 3/1968 Rademacher et al 53/247 X 3,444,981 5/1969 Schubert 53/236 UX 3,465,495 9/l969 Zwiacher et a1. 53/247 X 3,481,447 12/1969 Kochalski et al, .1 198/31 AB Primary Examiner-Theron E. Condon Assistant Examiner-Robert L. Spruill AttorneyNolte and Nolte ABSTRACT: An apparatus for paclking articles, such as cigarettes, cigars or cigarillos, comprising a takeup device for picking up rows of objects and depositing each row in a container with the articles of one row lie in the recesses formed by articles of the row below. The takeup device comprises at least two parts separable from one another to vary the number of objects to be picked up depending on whether the sections are joined together or separated from one another Further means are provided for delivering a series of the articles over a path so that they may be picked up by the takeup device PATENTED M181 7197:

sum 1 OF 3 INVENTOF? ALFRED ISCHMERMUND ATTORNEYS PATENTFU mama/1 3.599896 sum 2 [1F 3 Fig. 3

.I. 8 7 H AJT 1 f T 1 Q a 11 INVENTOR ALFRED SCHMERMUND ATTORNEYS I PATENTED Ausmsn 53, 599.396

SHEET 3 UF 3 Fig. 4

INVENTOH ALFRED SCHMERMUND WM J 7/4/4 ATTORNEYS BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION This invention relates to apparatus for packing rod-shaped objects in containers.

An apparatus of the invention is particularly suitable for packing rod-shaped objects, such as cigarettes, cigars or cigarillos, in containers for transport during the manufacture or packing thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention, an apparatus for packing rodshaped objects of substantially equal widths, such as cigarettes, cigars or cigarillos, comprises a takeup device for picking up rows of objects and depositing them in a row in a container, the takeup device having at least two sections separable from one another to vary the number of objects to be picked up depending on whether the sections are jointed together or separated from one another.

Preferably, the takeup device comprises means for holding the objects by suction. The takeup device may have two lateral sections and a third center section. The two lateral sections may be constructed and arranged for picking up equal numbers of objects, the center section being arranged for picking up an odd number of objects. Preferably, the center section is arranged for picking up only a single object. In this case, means may be provided for separating the center section from the lateral sections and for displacing the lateral sections towards each other, each lateral section through half the width of the objects. Preferably, means are provided for performing the following cycle of operational steps: joining the three sections together, picking up and depositing n objects in a first row in the container, removing the center section, moving the two lateral sections towards each other through equal distances to join the two lateral sections together, picking up and depositing n-l objects in a second row in the container, the objects of the second row lying in grooves formed by adjacent objects of the first row, moving the two lateral sections away from each other through equal distances, inserting the center section between the two lateral sections to join the three sections together picking up and depositing n objects in a third row in the container, and continuing the cycle of operational steps until the container houses a desired number of rows.

Further according to the invention an apparatus for packing rod-shaped objects of substantially equal widths, such as cigarettes, cigars or cigarillos, in superposed rows in a container, comprises means for delivering a series of objects over a path corresponding in length to a row of the objects, the delivery path for alternate rows of the objects having a length differing by one-half of the width of one of the objects, a suction plate for taking objects off the delivery path, the suction plate being adjustable in accordance with the number of objects to be taken off the delivery path for removing successively rows of objects from the delivery path and depositing them on the last row of objects previously deposited in the container in such a way that objects ofa row lie in grooves formed by adjacent objects of the immediately preceding row. A part, or each part. of the suction plate is equipped with a plurality of suction troughs for forming a row of objects, a further part carrying a single suction trough being withdrawable from its operative position in which it combines with the other part or parts to form a row of objects to another position in which it does not take up an object, the other part or parts being movable by one-half the thickness of an object towards the operative position previously occupied by said one part.

Preferably, the suction plate comprises two lateral parts and a center part, the center part carrying the single suction trough, the two lateral parts carrying the remaining suction troughs, the center part being withdrawable from its operative.

position between the lateral parts and being movable equally by one-half 68 width of an object towards each other so as to form a row of objects having its number reduced by one.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a front view of an apparatus for use in packing a row of 51 cigarettes into a container;

FIG. 2 illustrates a partial view of the suction plate of FIG. 1, but showing the suction plate set up for packing 50 cigarettes into the container;

FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of the apparatus of FIG. 1, showing movements of containers in which the cigarettes are being packed;

FIG. 4 illustrates a view of a feed which they are aligned in rows suction plate;

FIG. 5 illustrates an end view of three cigarettes showing the relative positions of the cigarettes when placed in the container; and

FIG. 6 illustrates a view of an alternative form of cigarette feed.

path for the cigarettes by prior to being picked up by the DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the manufacture and packing of cigarettes for sale, cigarettes are temporarily accommodated in containers for facilitating transporting the cigarettes from one working station to another. Usually the cigarettes are deposited in the containers in superposed rows, the number of cigarettes in immediately succeeding rows differing by one to enable cigarettes of one row to be received in grooves formed between adjacent cigarettes of a next row.

FIG. 5 shows three cigarettes of which two cigarettes are positioned in one row, and the third cigarette is positioned above the two cigarettes in an adjacent row. From a consideration of FIG. 5, it will be seen that the distance d between the centers of two adjacent cigarettes is equal to the width of a cigarette. The distances between the centers of adjacent rows 11 however is less than the width of a cigarette. In this way a saving of space can be achieved. The upper cigarette sits in a groove formed by the two lower cigarettes and is supported and positioned by the two adjacent lower cigarettes. It will be appreciated that the cigarettes in the upper row are displaced relatively to the cigarettes in the lower row by a distance equal to one-half the width of the cigarette that is to say by d/2.

Owing to such displacement of alternate rows immediately adjacent rows have a different number of cigarettes, the number of cigarettes differing by one.

FIGS. 1 to 4 show a cigarette-packing machine, which serves to position alternate rows of 50 and 51 cigarettes into a container S. The apparatus comprises a cigarette-feeding ar rangement having two troughed spindles l and 2 driven by a servomotor M controlled by suitable electronic circuitry (not shown). Each troughed spindle is in fact in the form of a screw, preferably having a multistart thread which in the present instance is a four-start thread (FIG. 4).

The cigarettes indicated at 4 are fed on to the spindles from a conveyor arrangement including a feed] belt 31 and a drum 34 having suction troughs 32. The feed belt 31 and drum 34 are driven by the motor M. The troughed spindles I and 2 are driven by spur gears 39 on the spindles which mesh with spur gears 40 on a shaft 41 which is in turn connected to the motor M by way of a worm wheel 43 and a worm 42 on the motor shaft. The drive for the feed belt 31 is taken off the shaft 40 by way of a chain drive 38 and bevel wheels 37 to the belt pulley wheel 33. On the shaft of the belt pulley wheel 33 a gear 36 is provided which meshes with a gear 35 meshing with a gear 34 driving the drum 34. The drum 34 is connected to a source of vacuum and is provided, in addition to suction holes 44 in the troughs 32, with a (stationary) segment-shaped control core 45 so that those holes 44, which are not required to convey cigarettes at any one time, are covered by the core while those which do convey cigarettes are connected to the suction source by way of a chamber 46. The drum 34 is also provided with turned grooves 47 in which strippers 48 engage, the strippers 48' being provided to ensure that the cigarettes are properly guided, held and discharged. A curved carryover member 49 assist in transferring cigarettes by the troughed suction drum 34.

The spindles 1 and 2 have to remain stationary for a fraction of a second whenever a line of cigarettes is removed from the spindles 1 and 2, although the feed belt 31 continues to run. Therefore cigarettes accumulated on the feed belt 31 during stationary periods of the spindles 1 and 2. To ensure that the accumulating cigarettes do not pile upwardly by the pressure of cigarettes behind them, the end of the belt 31 adjacent to the drum 34 is partly covered by guide rails 51. From the cigarette-making machine onwards, the cigarettes lie on the belt 31, but are spaced a small distance apart, equal to at least one-tenth of the diameter of the cigarettes and not more than one full diameter. The closer this spacing is, the longer must be the distance covered from the cigarette-making machine. On the other hand, the wider the spacing between individual cigarettes, the higher must be the speed of the belt. It is thus necessary that provision be made for regulating the belt speed.

The spindles l and 2 carry the cigarettes forward along the feed path and are provided at one side with a continuous striker plate 144 against which the cigarettes abut owing to the direction of rotation of the spindles which is indicated by the arrows in FIG. 3. Thus, as a direct result of the use of a screw type conveyor the cigarettes are lined up in a row and cigarettes are not likely to stray or run off the spindles l and 2.

For removing the series of cigarettes which is formed on the spindles 1 and 2, a suction plate arrangement is provided and consistsof three parts namely a withdrawable center part 7 having a single trough and two lateral parts 5 and 6 each carrying the same plurality of troughs 8. In the embodiments illustrated each ofthe lateral parts 5 and 6 has 25 troughs.

The center part 7 of the suction plate is connected to the lateral parts 5 and 6 by means of parallel linkages 9, 10 and 11 (FIGS. 1 and 2). For this purpose, the inner ends 5a and 6a of the two lateral parts 5 and 6 are provided with two bearings 9, one above the other, to which are articulated the parallel link members 11, on the other ends of which the part 7 is mounted. Thus the part 7 is movable by this linkage between theposition shown in FIG. 1 and the position shown in FIG. 2. In the position shown in FIG. 1, the suction plate part 7 is in its operative position and retains a cigarette, thus making up a row of 51 cigarettes. In its withdrawn position shown in FIG. 2 the part 7 does not pick up a cigarette since it is positioned behind the edges of the parts 5 and 6, and thus a row of 50 cigarettes is formed.

Movements of the Suction plate parts 5 and 6 towards and away from each other are controlled by a pair of cams 25 on a shaft 30 having spring biased followers 26 in contact therewith and, through a linkage 27, 24 and 23 they control the operation of U-shaped guide members 22 in which projecting rollers 21 extend upwardly from the suction plate parts 5 and 6. The movement of the lateral parts 5 and 6 towards and away from each other controls the movement of the center part 7. Thus, as the parts 5 and 6 move towards each other the single suction part 7 is moved by the parallel linkage away from its operative position while, as the parts 5 and 6 move apart, the parallel linkage returns the single trough part 7 into its operative position.

The suction plate requires to be raised and lowered four times during each cycle of operation, (twice for each row of cigarettes). Thus it requires to be raised and lowered above the cigarettes in the container and above the cigarettes on the feed spindles 1 and 2. This raising and lowering motion is effected by a pair of cams 20 on a shaft 29 connected through bevel gears to the shaft 30 (FIG. 3). Associated with the earns 20 are cam followers 19 on the end of sliding rods 17 sliding in bearings 18. The upper portion of the rod 17 is bifurcated at 16 and carries thereon a member which provides a guide for the movement of the suction plate in a horizontal direction. Thus each rod 17 carries and guides a supporting guide member which in turn carries the suction plate parts 5, 6 and 7.

Backwards and forwards movement of the suction plate parts 5, 6 and 7 between the container S and the feed spindles 1 and 2 is provided through connecting linkages 13 and 14 by cranks 12 on a crankshaft 28. This moves the suction plate from the position shown in chain dotted lines at the right of the container S3 in FIG. 3 to the position shown in chain dotted lines in the container S3 of FIG. 3 and back again. The shaft 28 makes one revolution per layer of cigarettes.

FIG. 3 also shows the movements of the containers S in passing the packing machine. Thus containers S1 and S2 move towards the machine until they reach a position S3. From S3 the containers move downwards, being supplied with cigarettes as they move downwardly, into the positions S4, S5. Further downward movement then takes place to the position S6. After arriving at the position S6 the containers are moved sideways in the opposite direction to the motion of the container from S1 to S2 as indicated at $7 and S8 and thence they may be transported to any desired location.

Starting with the machine in the position shown in full lines in FIG. 3, a series of cigarettes has been fed along the spindles 1 and 2 and this series of cigarettes is picked up by the parts 5, 6 and 7 of the suction plate. Let it be assumed that the 51 cigarettes are picked up by the parts 5, 6 and 7. At the moment when the cigarettes are about to be picked up by the troughs of the suction plate, the drive is cut off from the spindles 1 and 2, holding them momentarily stationary while the cigarettes are picked up by the suction plate. Immediately on engagement with the cigarettes, the suction plate is connected to a source of suction and the cigarettes are firmly seated in the troughs ready to be removed from the feeding spindles I and 2. The suction parts 5,6 and 7 are then raised by the cams 20 which raises and lowers the rods 17 four times'for every revolution of the cams 20. Thus the cam S20 rotate once for every two rows of cigarettes laid by the machine in the container. Immediately as the cigarettes have been picked up by the suction plate out of engagement with the spindles 1 and 2, the spindles l and 2 again move, together with the feed suction drum 34, so as to begin feeding the next series of cigarettes. In the meantime the suction plate which has been raised by the cams 20 is moved to the left in FIG. 3 by the cranks 12, thus moving the suction plate to a position directly above a line of 50 cigarettes waiting in the container at the position S4, the plate running by way of its rollers 21 in the channels 22. The cams 20 now lower the suction plate until the 51 cigarettes rest directly on top of the preceding row of 50 cigarettes. Because of the difference in number of the cigarettes in the rows the cigarettes of one row lie in staggered relationship to those of the preceding row, and thus in grooves formed between the cigarettes.

When the cigarettes have arrived in position in contact with or very closely adjacent to the preceding row of cigarettes, the suction is cut off from the suction plate to release the cigarettes into their appropriate position in the container at the position S4.

During this time the spindles l and 2 continue to feed the next series of cigarettes which will be in position for takeup by the time the suction plate has returned.

On release of the cigarettes the cams 20 once again cause the lifting of the suction plate above the cigarettes in the container, and the crank 12 returns the suction plate to the right in FIG. 3 so as to position it above the feed spindles 1 and 2. The cams 20 then act to lower the suction plate on to the waiting series of cigarettes on the feed spindles l and 2.

During the return motion of the suction plate, the cams 35 operate to bring the two lateral parts of the suction plates 5 and 6 towards each other, after thecenter part 7 has been removed from its operative position. Thereby the number of troughs available for picking up cigarettes is reduced to 50. In order to allow for this the spindles 1 and 2 feed the cigarettes through a distance less than the previous feeding action by one-half the diameter of a cigarette, and, since the two lateral suction plate parts 5 and 6 move towards each other to take up the gap left by the center suction part 7, the parts 5 and 6 move towards each other through a distance equal to one-half the diameter of a cigarette. In this way the sucti'on plate and the series of cigarettes being fed are once again aligned. The cigarettes in the feed path are then taken up from the feed spindles l and 2 and the process is repeated. The alignment of the suction plate is now such as to deposit a row of 50 cigarettes on to the previously deposited row of 51 cigarettes in a staggered relationship so that the 50 cigarettes lie supported by the row of 51 cigarettes but in grooves formed by adjacent cigarettes in the preceding row.

On the return from depositing the row of 50 cigarettes, the reverse action is carried out by the earns 25. The suction plate parts 5 and 6 are parted so as to move forward the center suction plate part 7 thus arranging the suction plate for picking up 51 cigarettes for the next row. In corresponding with this, the spindles l and 2 feed the cigarettes forward by an extra half cigarette diameter. The process continues until the container at the position S4 is filled up, by which time the next container originally at the position S2 takes up the position S3 while the container at position S4 takes up the position S5. The container at the position S2 is then filled and as this container is filled the container at position S1 next to the container at position S2 moves into the position S2. The container at the position S4 moves down from its position S5 to its position 86 and thereafter moves leftwards in FIG. 3 to take up successive positions S7 and S8 whereupon it can be removed by a conveyor or other means for transport to any desired location.

The feeding of the containers has not been shown but requires some mention. The supply of empty containers can be maintained by belts, the containers being thrust from the position S2 to the position S3 by thrust members. The removal of the containers at positions S6 and S7 is also effected by thrust members and the containers may then be taken away by belts. Long lines of containers may be used. The lowering of the containers past the filling position can be controlled by a simple stepping mechanism. To allow for the bottom of the container which is generally as thick as a depth of the container must carry out a single downward more to a depth of one to three layers (thickness of bottom) plus one layer for the depth of the layer concerned as soon as the last layer has been added to the container. As the number of layers in the container is known for each kind of container, the downward movement, the extend of which is small for each layer, can be increased, according to the known number of layers of cigarettes, to give the requisite lengths, within one and the same unit time. The overall periodic drop of the container can be attained, for example, with the aid of a servomotor with photoelectric cell control through a register disc.

FIG. 6 shows a modification of the feeding arrangement of FIG. 4. In this modified arrangement, the spindles l and 2 are replaced by a troughed belt 101 fed from the suction wheel 34 provided with strippers 48 and 50 and the carryover member 49 which assists in feeding of the cigarettes. If desired, the conveyor belt could be provided without troughs and thus be a normal flat belt. This would however require more complicated feeding arrangements to the belt than is at present necessary with a troughed belt.

Both spindles and the troughed belt are provided with some means for adjusting the spacing so as to be able to feed cigarettes of different diameters, that is to say the spindles and the troughed belt can be exchanged for different corresponding members. The troughed spindles l and 2 are preferable because such spindles can be made in any desired pitch and it is therefore simple to replace such spindles by spindles of a different pitch, whereas special and expensive moulds have to be prepared for different endless trough belts 101.

It will be appreciated that while there has been described above a packing apparatus for cigarettes the invention is also applicable togackin other rod-shaped articles of substantia ly equal Wl ths, w lCh may be of a fragile nature, such as cigars and cigarillos.

Other modifications are possible. For example, the suction plate may have only two parts instead of three parts. Again, the suction plate and its parts may be such that the numbers of articles in adjacent rows differ by an odd number other than one.

Iclaim:

ll. An apparatus for packing rod-shaped objects substantially equal widths, comprising a takeup device for picking up rows of objects and depositing said rows in a container, said takeup device comprising at least two lateral sections in selectably variable spatial relationship and a third center section selectably insertable in abutting relationship between said takeup sections.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the two lateral sections are constructed and arranged for picking up predetermined pluralities of objects, the center section being arranged for picking up only a single object.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 2, comprising means for selectably inserting said center section between the two takeup device sections, and for displacing said takeup device sections towards each other, each section being displaced through halfthe width of an object.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim ll, comprising means for cyclically performing the following repetitive operational steps: inserting the center section between said two takeup device sections to join the three sections together, picking up and depositing n objects in a first row in a container, removing the center section, moving the two takeup device sections towards each other through equal distances to until said two takeup device sections abut one another, picking up and depositing n-l objects in a second row in the container, the objects of the second row lying in grooves formed by adjacent objects of the first row, moving said two takeup sections away from each other through equal distances.

5. An apparatus for packing rod-shaped objects of substantially equal widths in superposed rows in a container, comprising means for delivering a series of objects over a path corresponding in length to a row of the objects, the delivery path for alternate rows of the objects having a length differing by one-half the width of one of the objects, a suction plate for taking objects off the delivery path, the suction plate comprising two lateral sections and a center section, the two lateral sections being equipped with a plurality of suction troughs for forming a row of the objects, the center section being equipped with a single suction trough and being withdrawable from its operative position between the two lateral sections in which it combines with the two lateral sections to form a row of the objects to another position in which it does not take up an object, and the two lateral sections being movable equally by one-half the width of the object towards each other so as to form a row of the objects having its number reduced by one. 

1. An apparatus for packing rod-shaped objects substantially equal widths, comprising a takeup device for picking up rows of objects and depositing said rows in a container, said takeup device comprising at least two lateral sections in selectably variable spatial relationship and a third center section selectably insertable in abutting relationship between said takeup sections.
 2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the two lateral sections are constructed and arranged for picking up predetermined pluralities of objects, the center section being arranged for picking up only a single object.
 3. An apparatus as defined in claim 2, comprising means for selectably inserting said center section between the two takeup device sections, and for displacing said takeup device sections towards each other, each section being displaced through half the width of an object.
 4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, comprising means for cyclically performing the following repetitive operational steps: inserting the center section between said two takeup device sections to join the three sections together, picking up and depositing n objects in a first row in a container, removing the center section, moving the two takeup device sections towards each other through equal distances to until said two takeup device sections abut one another, picking up and depositing n-1 objects in a second row in the container, the objects of the second row lying in grooves formed by adjacent objects of the first row, moving said two takeup sections away from each other through equal distances.
 5. An apparatus for packing rod-shaped objects of substantially equal widths in superposed rows in a container, comprising means for delivering a series of objects over a path corresponding in length to a row of the objects, the delivery path for alternate rows of the objects having a length differing by one-half the width of one of the objects, a suction plate for taking objects off the delivery path, the suction plate comprising two lateral sections and a center section, the two lateral sections being equipped with a plurality of suction troughs for forming a row of the objects, the center section being equipped with a single suction trough and being withdrawable from its operative position between the two lateral sections in which it combines with the two lateral sections to form a row of the objects to another position in which it does not take up an object, and the two lateral sections being movable equally by one-half the width of the object towards each other so as to form a row of the objects having its number reduced by one. 